Rating: 
Summary: Very compelling read
Review: I am mystified by the folks who found No Safe Place dull or slow! I found it a very well-told tale (with a great twist I didn't guess) and a page-turner from the first scene. The characters are multilayered and the protagonist, Kilcannon, has a fascinating backstory, which Patterson skillfully laces into the main storyline. My only complaint, and the reason I didn't give this book five stars, is that the characters occasionally make speeches about their lives. Those monologues don't ring true, and in fact are jarring given how well Patterson usually handles dialogue. But absolutely, I recommend this book, and No Safe Place has made me a Richard North Patterson fan and admirer.
Rating:
Summary: Now's the best time to read it...
Review: Good fun reading a novel about a senator fighting through the preliminaries to become presidential candidate for his party and comparing it to the real-life saga of Bush v. Cain!During the first 100 pages I thought, so old-fashioned: Focus on one character (Kerry Kilcannon) and provide flash-backs to his childhood (have you noticed, every Irish male at that stage is an alcoholic and a wifebasher!) and formative years, for the reader to understand the motivation behind every decision he makes, every action he takes in his later life. And then the depiction of his loveaffair with Lara: Just didn't seem like end of twentieth century, too romantic to be true. I don't understand why the author had to throw in the storyline of the fanatical pro-lifer, intent on killing Kilcannon. I didn't think it did anything to enhance the suspense. Maybe because of the twist in the end... But afterwards, the author concentrated more on campaign and less on Kilcannon and that's where the book gained momentum: Journalists hunting for a story that could end Kilcannons race; Preparations for a TV debate with the other contestant; how to get the pro-choice votes; how to provide security for the candidate; the relation between Dick Mason (the incumbent Vice President who of course wants the Precidency) and Kilcannon.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but the twist was pointless
Review: I really enjoyed the book - until the end.
It seems like Patterson didn't know what else to do with the affair between Kerry and Lara, so he just dropped the whole thing.
I still don't understand why Patterson chose the man he did to be the assassin. The whole idea of the radical pro-life killer was good enough without having to bring back someone from Kerry's past. (A someone who had nothing to do with the pro-life cause when Kerry knew him.)
A very good book, but be prepared for the strange twists at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Richard North Patterson is one of our time's best writers
Review: Twelve years ago, James Kilcannon was making a strong run for president when he was assassinated in California. Now in the election for the first president of the new century, James' younger brother Kerry is making a surprisingly strong bid. However, Kerry has a secret past that could easily torpedo his run if any of it becomes known. With the media digging into every facet of his entire life story, the probability is that at least one of his secrets, if not all, will become headline news. Worse yet is the fact that an unknown assailant is unhappy with Kerry's position on abortion. This individual has killed before and has no qualms about murdering anew. His current plan is to make Kerry the most famous victim of his cause. Richard North Patterson is renowned for his legal thrillers. However, this time he leaves behind the courtroom to enter the political arena. The main story line is crisp but is somewhat marred by a Cape Cod romance. The characters are all fun to read about even if the lines of idealism Vs cynicism is drawn too sharply. Though not quite on a par with SILENT WITNESS, NO SAFE PLACE is an interesting political drama but then with a master like Mr. Patterson writing, what else can one expect. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Not Politics as Usual
Review: A love affair with a reporter haunts Senator Kerry Kilcannon's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination after someone leaks the story of the affair to a journalist. As the race closes, we see both the candidate's struggle to do the right thing and a journalist's uncharacteristic wrestling with his conscience about bringing down a decent man. And while that's going on an anti-abortion fanatic, who has already committed multiple murders, is stalking Kilcannon because of this pro-choice position. A fast five star thriller that examines a hotly contested political issue.
Rating: 
Summary: not another trite same old scarecrow
Review: Skip this book, it is a waste of your time. Patterson has the same old problem of many far left writers. He assumes the political far right is simply the opposite of the political left. No character development, no insight, no balance. It's much like treading through a non-sports fan description of the intensity of a NFL coach.The book is too long and appears to be written solely to promote a political way of thought. We are told 1) the political arguments AND 2) what our emotional reaction is supposed to be to the arguments. What we are dummies and can't think. What a putdown! Page after page of a lawyer's brief is boring. However, there is one good idea in book: everyone serving his country for 2 years. However, for this idea to fly we need not to repeat Vietnam. Either all serve, or none serve. No special exceptions for professional sports athletics, congress's children, careers, etc. Also service time should be reduced to 21 months to symbolically match maximum age before full adult rights. Too many today think of citizenship as a free lunch. Maybe someday we will be offerred a rich book about both the political process and the moral crystalization process a candidate goes though without straw scarecrows. Bottom line-- Patterson needs to research more and open his mind to other values so our read can be more realistic and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: THE THRILLS ARE IN THE CHARACTERS
Review: Being a neophyte to Mr. Patterson's books, I have been going through them in order; I have been awed overall by this man's brilliant writing. I was disappointed at first in "No Safe Place," as Patterson moves away from criminal law to a political drama. I even considered not reading it after the first few chapters. But once again, Patterson's skills as a writer forced me to finish it and I'm glad I did. For what he achieves again is an incredible mixture of characters and situations that can't help but grab you by the throat and never let you go. In the alternating flashbacks, we learn so much about all of the characters. At times, Kerry Killcannon seems too good to be true, but beneath this saintly figure is a man with bitterness, the need for vengeance, and a need to climb out of the shadow of his assassinated brother, Jamie.
The scenes of family abuse are stunning--and disturbing---the moment at the end of the Anthony Musso trial is shocking and heartbreaking. Kerry's decision regarding the child in this situation has far reaching results.
Lara Costello, the lovely reported that Killcannon has fallen in love with, is portrayed as a career-driven, but ultimately a woman of substance.
The issues attacked in this book are the hard ones that we all face each day. Pro-life/pro-choice/gun control/spouse abusal protection...Patterson packs some powerful comments and whether you agree with them or not, you have to admire him for trying to be fair and realistic in his approach. Journalism takes a beating in this one, as it should. It gives further evidence how the media will do anything to get a story, even ruin people's lives.
The tragic Sean Bean is a very disturbing but pitiful character and the path he takes to his own destruction is gutwrenching, but at the climax of his scene, you'll understand why.
A brilliant book, and quite well done.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: Great fun book
Review: The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I found it a bit long in parts. Wannabe President Kerry Kilcannon is a great character study of someone who is unsure just how much to lose or compromise to ascend to the highest office. What's nice is that he is an honest to goodness good person. I wish he were running for office in real life. I recommend this book. This was the first Patterson book I have read, but it won't be the last.
Rating:
Summary: Vintage RNP,just exemplary
Review: My first RNP. The book made that made me a fan of Richard N Patterson. After No Safe Place, Silent Witness,Escape the Night and Degree of Guilt Richard North Patterson proved to be my most favourite author, even over John Grisham and Steve Martini.The campaign trail is amazing, the romance touching and the way RNP takes us to the past of the protagonist Kerry Kilcannon is just great. His feelings and character are well written. Kerry Kilcannon is a lawyer mostly dealing with cases of domestic violence. He then enters politics and runs for president. His brother James was assasinated in a campaign. Past memories,his love and emotions make a great read; u gotcha read this book, you'll surely get hooked.
Rating:
Summary: Great Work
Review: Patterson gets it all right: the politics, the journalism and the relation between them. This is the best political novel since "Advise and Consent."
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